Process for making combustible gas



June 3, 1930. w. w. ooau.

S PROCESS FOR MAKING COMBUSTIBLE GAS Filed March 4, 1927 Patented June 3, 1930 UNlTED SJTATESIJPATENT OFFICE WILLIAM W. ODELL, OF- MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO COLUMBIA ENGI- NEERING AND MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORA- TION OF OHIO Application filed March 4,

In essence, the process consists in generating combustible gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, using one or more hydrocarbons-of the paraflin series as a fuelofor the generation of at least a part of it; natu-' ral gas being. a ready and low priced source of supply of said hydrocarbons. An important part ofithe process is based upon the chemical reactions occurring when the paraffin hydrocarbons are subjected to the action of heat, i. e., when they are caused to contact heated surfaces, palticularly'in the presence of steam; the contacting surface may be carbonaceous or other substance.

are so frequently wasted.

2. To produce a gas, using said hydrocarbons, which will have the right proportional V amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H for the synthetic production of methanol, i. e., about two parts of H to one part of CO, since the methanol reaction is represented by the equation 1 CO+2H2=OH3OH 3. To provide a flexible means of producing gas of .standard quality using paraflin hydrocarbons, in chemical reactions, in the generation of a part thereof. f

4. To produce water gas with higher efficiency and at a lower cost than when using solid fuel alone, by the .use of said hydrocarbons in chemical reactions. 7

5. To utilize and recover in the combustible gas made a large portion ofthe volatile combustible matter of a bituminiferous or other solid fuel when the latter is used as Water-gas generator-fuel.

6. To increasethe gas making capacity of the generator of a carburetted water-gas set,

' particularly when bituminous or high volatile solid fuels are used in the generator.

It should-be notedthat with the advent of the new and improved oil-cracking processes so much of the low-density hydrocarbons are formed that a limit has been put upon the amount of the latter whichcan be present in natural-gas gasoline :used' in blending; and

PROCESS FOR MAKING COMBUSTIBLE GAS malaria in pilots insome of the natural-gas fields even in those fields where the methane and ethane are piped to centres of consumption I find it possible to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide, using the paraffin hydrocarbons,at a'lower cost than when using solid fuel only at nominal prices, and without the formation of free carbon. The chemical equations of interest and yvhich are alluded to hereinafter are as folows: I

CH upon heatcracking=C+2I I C H upon heat cracking=2G+3H C H upon hc'at cracking=3C+4H I G l-I gen heat cracking=4C+ 5H CH4+ O'=CO+3H 0 1-1 QH O =2CO 5H C H +3H O=3CO+ 71L. (1 H 4H O 4C0 9H C+H O=CO+H ,(6+10) CH +C+QH O=QCO+4H (7+ 10 (3 H C 3H O= 3CO+ 6H (13) (8+10 G H +C+etH O=etCO+8H (14) (9+10 (LH -lrC+5H O=5OO+10H In the above there are three classes of reaction; equations 2't0 5 inclusive show the effect of completely cracking the paraflins by the application of heat; equations 6 to 9 inclusive show theleffect of heating them in the presence of sufficient steam to combine .With the carbon by the watergas reaction as the volume ratio of H to CO in the products v of reaction is 2 tol, which is a desirable proportion for the production of synthetic methanol by equation 1. It is obvious then that in the generation of the ideal Water-.

gas (CO-l-H mixture) using paraflin'hy drocarbons there is'a preferred proper tion of steamrand carbon to bejused with the latter, and this proportion is shown by the combination-equations 11 to 14. In common practice in generating water-gas a much larger amount of steam is necessarily used than enters into the chemical reaction and this will hold true in this instance. Therefore in controlling the reactions 11 to 14 it is necessary to use substantially that quantity of the hydrocarbons which will increase the volume ratio H to CO above that of equation 10, in which the ratio is 1 to 1, andpreferably a sufficient amount to make the ratio 2 to 1, when making a gas for use in synthesizing methanol. This ratio can be varied at will within certain limits; equation 6' shows the conditions for a ratio of 3 to 1 and the otherequations show smaller ratios; that in equation 10 inwhich no hydrocarbons enter the reaction, being 1 to 1. The low limit is about 1 to 1, but .there is practically -no upper-limit ratio short of infinity when reactions 2 to 5 are considered. The latter reactions do not represent eflicient gasification and are not of themselves new. The process of making water gas(CO and H mixtures) having a hydrogen-carbon monoxide ration of substantially 2 to 1 by the high temperature reactions represented by equations 11, 12, 13 and 14 or combinations of them, using a substantially definite proportion of hydrocarbons, steam and carbon in the reactions as shown, is believed to be a new combination in the art. It will be noted that propane (CaH and butane (CiH yield a gas, by reactions represented in equations 8 and 9, which is quite satisfactory for the product-ion of methanol (CH OH) Thus it IS apparent that the reaction shown in equation 10, commonly known as the water-gas reaction, need not enter into or become a part of the reaction producing a mixture of H and CO-other than in the conversion of the carbon of hydrocarbons to CO. In other words, additional carbon is not necessary.

Also it is to be noted that the gas generated is substantially free from suspended carbon thereby making it unnecessary to treat theone alr-blastlng and one steaming period gas for the removal of carbon.

The apparatus in which I am able to-make The generator is shown connected with double checker'chambers such as the carburetor and superheater of a carburetted water-gas set,

but obviously it can function without the lat ter. 2

In Figure 1, 1 is the generator shell having charging door 2 for charging solid fuel or other contact material shown at 4 and supported by grate bars The steam supply line isshown at 5, hav inginlet control valves for up and down-run steam respectively at 6 and 7. .Hydrocarbon gas is supplied to the and 14 can be passed through them and out through ofl'takes 21 and 22 by controlling valves 23 and 24. A connection for hydrocarbongas is shown at 19 with control valve 20. Checkerbriok or contact material is shown at 25 and 26 and asteam control valve at 27 .for introducing steam into chamber 18. Secondary air is admitted through 28 and 29,

and enriching oil or other carburetting material, is introduced through 30 and 31. A steam inlet for cooling back-flow gas and Valves is shown at 35.

Before describing the operation by my process I call attention to the fact that in the manufacture of water gas or carburetted water-gasvthe gas making capacity of the generator is much lower using bituminous coal than with coke, and this difference is due to the difliculty in heating the mass of fuel in the generator to a gas-making temperature; there is a larger percentage of relatively cold fuel. in the generator using coal and in attempting to heat it by prolonged air blasting a large percentage of the combustible volatile matter is lost in the blast gas. To correct this evil I operate by my process in the production of water-gas or carburetted water-gas, in cycles as follows: Re-

ferring to Figure 1, the ignited fuel 4 is air making a complete cycle. The cycles are repeated. When down steam runs are made, valves 6, 13, and 13 are closed and valves7 and 14 are opened. During the admission of steam during the up-runs, hydrocarbon gas is also admitted to the fuel bed by opening valve 10. In this manner less solid fuel is consumed in the generator during the steam-run periods, less is used per thousand cubic feet of gas made, and therefore the rate of travel of the generator fuel downwards by reason of its consumption is decreased. Accordingly the fuel in the upper zone becomes hotter than it would without the addition of the hydrocarbon gas. This effect becomes more evident upon. comparing equations 6 and 10. With the same quantity of steam,

twice the volume of gas is made by equation 6 than by equation 10, and more heat is carcried from the hot zone to the upper cooler zone of the generator by this increased volume the generator I can be predetermined. Attention is called of gas. The hydrocarbon gas maybe introduced during each up-run, during a portiol'i of each run, during' both up and down runs, or during a certain, predetermined percentage of the total number of runs. Fun thermore, an excess of hydrocarbon gas may be used, that-is, beyond the normal end of the steam-run period. In the latter period the gas is not appreciably crackedand functions chiefly as a heat-carrying'agent, helping to equalize the temperature in the generator' fuel-bed, and simultaneously carburetting the make gas. VVhen'a mixture of parafiin hydrocarbons are introduced into members only of the series are appreciably cracked. In" this manner the amount of cracking and the nature of the finished gas to thefact that the heat absorbed in the generator according to equation 6 is much-lessthanis absorbed 'by'equation 10, hence for a definite temperature condition in the .gen-

' eratorfuel-bed the quantity of gas which can be made according to th e former is more than double that whichcan be made accords coal as p raised above that of normal 'pract1ce,but the ditferentrin each case","but the same general relation existsas a study of the equations will reveaL, It-appears that notonly is the capacity of the generator increased whenus'ing fuel: and'the gasification efii'ciency overall efficiency in making carburetted water-gas and employinghydro-carbon gas as described is higher than other processes using hydrocarbons, such as the combined oil-gas, reformed-gas process and thel1ke,'so*

far as I am aware.

So .far, up-runs: only, has beendiscussed. It can'be used when desired on the down-runs as well, but when using coal as generator fuel it should not be admitted cold to the top; of the generator fuel, although with-coke fuel this can be satisfactorily doner Means are pro- Inthis manner the gas, and preferably, the steam also 'are'preheated before reaching the xfuel bedir In fact :a considerable amount of reactions 6, 7 8 and 9 takes place in the'checker chambers '17 and generator fuel-bed. To a large extent .-the

amount of carbon (generator fuel) consumed" during'the run when operatingin the man-' ner described above is controlled by varying large pro pr fuel bed, as through'lO during a prolonged partjof an up-run, the higher spec-t to the stea m and hydrocarbon to equation 10. Similar comparisons can be made between equation '10' and equations because they are the use of hydrocarbon gas on the following equations: 7

(15 C I-I upon heat cracking= 2C+ 2H I v 18 before reaching the" the "proportions of steam and hydrocarbon lVhen usmg coke fuel and using a gas used.

n'tion ofrhydrocarbon gas-there is a tendency the fuel bed tobecome too hot. Under these for the fuel in the .upper 'part'of conditions the hydrocarbon gas admit-ted V to the generator from above the fuel bed, i. e., through valve 9, the steam being admitted through valve 7 and the make gas. being removed through 14 or 14 as desired,

' In the generation of gas for use in manufacturing synthetic methanol, when the proportion of fixed limits and when the latter, gases are preferred to the exclusion of other gasesiit is necessary to operate with fuel-bed temperatures well above the dissociation orre CO and H must beheld within action temperatures; this is provided for by adjusting'the amount of, airg-used with regas used, short cycles are used under these conditions;

After the generator is in operation it is only necessary to analyze the generated gas to determine whether or not the cycle should be changed and whether the air, steam and hydrocarbongas are" properly pro or-tioned.

For example, with insuiiicient'airblas ing,or

its equivalent, too much steam and hydrocarb'on gas, the percentage ofCO 'and-CI-L in the generated gas increases With suflicient air blasting, the content of the generated;

' gas increases as the ratio of steam tohydroa carbon gas ncreases; a

Should it be-desirabletomateriallyincrease the content of'H be y yon'd that shown in equations'fi to Hit is only necessary to materially reduce the amount of steam used and allow reactions 2 to 5 to take .place' according tothe hydrocarbon used.

The paraflins are not the onlyhydrocarbon. gases which can be used inthe production of mixed CO andH by chemical reaction with steam; they are mentioned in particular large quantities Ethylene (C l-I4) a byproduct in the crackingof petroleum in the vmanufacture of gasoline is also a s uitable commercially available in hydrocarbon for the purpose as shown the v In other words, one'wayof convertingc H into methanol is shown by equations 16 and.

1. It will be noted that in equation 16 the gas formed has the right proportion, of CO and H for equation 1, hence for thelatter purpose, when using (LI-I in the generator it a is desirable to consume as little generator fuel during the steam run aspossible and to adjust the steam and C l-L proportions so that t-he. make gas is substantially as shown in equation 16. One of the fundamentals of my process, then, consists in: causing steam and hydrocarbon gas to be introduced simultaneously into an incandescent mass of solids, which mass may or may not comprise coal, coke or the like and causing said steam and gas to react chemically in definite proportions which are substantially and at least one molecule of H for every carbon atom present in the reacting hydrocarbon gas. The complete cycle of operation, using a multiple-shell set, as shown in Figure 1, and using hydrocarbon gas on both the up and down runs is substantially as follows: Up blast the ignited fuel in the generator with air'until it is incandescent, meanwhile conducting the blast gas into the attached checker chambers, burning it therein by the addition of secondary air admitted through 29 and causing the burned gas to pass out ofsaid chambers through 23; discontinuing the air-blasting and introducing b'oth steam and hydrocarbon gas from .beneaththe fuel bed, removing the reaction products from above the fuelbed and causing them to pass through the'checker chambers; discontinuing this steam run and repeating the cycle, except that the subsequent steam runris made as follows: steam and hydrocarbon gas are introduced into the top of the superheater in molecular proportions, caused to react at least in part in the checker chambers "and conducted into the generator fuel-bed from v above it, the firilshed gas being removed cracking of said oil in city gas, enricher frombeneaththe fuel bed through 12 and 14 Obviously, instead of making alternate up and down runs, split runs can be made or a combination of split runs andup and down runs; this is a common practice in water-gas generation. Likewise, steam alone may-be used during some of the runs, omitting the hydrocarbon gas in order to correct any deviation from the selected or desired percentages of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the finished gas. Y

en it is intended to use the gas made as maybe added to the make gas flowing through the checker chambers or elsewhere. If oil is used as enricher it can be cracked more efficiently in the atmosphere of CO-l-H than in the oil-gas process; the efiiciency of gasification in the latter process being less than per cent, whereas with the same gas oil the gasification efficiency in the an atmosphere of or more. \Vhcn CO+H is per cent as is available,

sutlicient hydrocarbon I prefer to enrich the C +H mixture by" introducing the former into the latter in the checker chambers.

A special inlet for it is not shown for simplicity, since about the same result is obtained by opening valve 9 on the up runs and valve 10 on the down runs.

, tor essentially from This method of introducing the enricher tends to keep valves 13 and 14 cool.

There are conditions and localities in this country where it is necessary to alter the gas making process used in generating city gas because of a variation in the supply of natural gas and variation in demand for gas. I believe I have a flexible unit which may be subjected to considerable variation in operation without materially altering the quality of the finished gas. For example, in the apparatus shown in Figure l, water-gas can be made in the generator almost entirely from hydrocarbon gas,'such as natural gas,

ply of the latter is sufficient to meet the de- .mand.' On the other hand, when this supply is low, water gas can be made in the generasolid fuel, using the natural gas for enriching only; in extreme cases the enriching can in part be done by introducing gas oil into the checker chambers, as in the standard carburetted watergas process. 'It may be done by introducing hydrocarbon gas through 10 or 9 on up and down runs respectively during the latter part of the steam runs.

In making straight CO+H mixtures, containing only small percentages of other gases, from hydrocarbon gas as a base raw material, or from both hydrocarbon gas and solid generator fuel, the temperature of the checker bricks in chambers 17 and 18 should be appreciably higher than is common practice in making carburetted water-gas. The temperature 1700 degrees tures of 1750 satisfactory. When gas oil is used and a carburetted gas, such as city gas, is made .lower temperatures are more satisfactory, namely, 1400 to 1550 degrees Fahrenheit. The latter is also true when carburetting by introducing hydrocarbon gas into the gas entering checker chambers 17 and 18 from the generator. 7

Coal, coke, or the like, is a satisfactory filler for the generator, and is a splendid contact medium for carrying on reactions as represented by equations 2 to 17 inclusive.

en it is desirable not to completely Fahrenheit average crack all of the hydrocarbon gas used in the should be preferably, above temperato 1900 degrees Fahrenheit are 17 and 18, through 13,

- tirely valves 6 and simultaneously admitting secondary air to 17 taking the resulting product off through 1.8

admitting hydrocarbon gas to generator through 9 also when enriched gasis desired. A subsequent cycle is made by first air-blasting as'just described and then, when the generator fuel 4 and are sufliciently hot, blasting, closing stack and hydrocarbon gas simultaneously through 27 and 20 respectively, causing them to react chemically during their passagethrough l8 and 17, conducting the reaction products and any excess of either gas or steam or both discontinuing the airout of 1-7 through-the generator fuel-bed 4, and out of generator; the latter step may consist in pas-sing the gaseous products from 17 through 13 and 11, down through fuel bed 4 and out through 12 and 14 ,01; when 13 is closed, through 14, up through fuel bed 4- and out through 13 When said gaseous products from 17 are passing additional steam 1s introduced'into fuel bed 4 simultaneously wit them by opening respeccarbon gas is availableit-is also introduced into the fuel bed 4 along with the steam and the gaseous products from 17 by opening valve 10 before up runs and valve 9 before down runs. Furthermore, when the enriching is done with hydrocarbon gas, both valves 9 and 10 are open during up and down runs, the extent of enriching in this instance depending upon the relative amounts of hydrocarbon gas used in the reactions andintroduced after the products have emerged from the fuel bed.

My gas generatingapparatus is so designed that a substantially constant quality of gasv can be made therein, using varying relative.

amounts of steam and hydrocarbon gas in the process. The temperatures in the checker chambers 17 and '18 are maintained by the combustion of blast gas therein, but when necessary or desired additional gas is supplied thereto by opening valve 9 during the upward air blasting of the generator fuel 4. Finished gas can be taken from generator through ofl'takes and valves at top and bottom (above and belowthe fuel bed) as shown at 13, and 14 besides the ofl'takes leading through the checker chambers. I

Q It is common knowledge that both hydrogen and carbon monoxide when separately mixed with air are inflammable over a wide range of mixtures and 'that the maximum rate of flame propagation through the hydrogen-a1r mixture s much greater than that of mixed a1r and carbon monoxide.

Now discontinue the air the c'heckerbricks, 25 and 26.

23, introducing steam; g

respectively, to two .to one -lQ;Sl)G(tlVGly..

through solid fuel bed, either ,upwardly or downwardly,"

For this reason and ,be causeof the wide diflimits and burning properties that are not appreciably differentfrom those of OlhO-I.

gases for which it may be interchangeably. substituted. Accordingly the gas made by .reaction; of the hydrocarbon gases with steam should not only be free from suspended carbon but the hydrogento carbon monoxide ratio' should be confined within certain limits as shown, namely, from three toone',

This I, accomplish .in my process by controlling the amount of steam and hydrocarbon gasused, the duration of the cycle which is shown to lJG'SllOll), andithe temperature of the contact surface for reaction. The equations show substantially the results Iobtain.

. I prefer not'to limit myself to the use of particular hydrocarbons, since practically all hydrocarbons react similarly in an incandescent fuel bed inv the presence of steam. An atomized liquid hydrocarbon is con .sidered to be a gaseous hydrocarbon.

Attention is called to the fact that it is not possible to airblast a fuel bed to a uniform temperature throughout and that in m process' a step toward this goal is made; thetemperaturegradient throughout the fuel bed, operating with the introduction of hydrocarbons with the steam, is smaller than in normal water-gas generation. Because,

of the latter I am'enabled to quite completely decompose unsaturated, hydrocarbons and to generate from 'steamand hydrocarbons, mixedhydrogen'and 'CaIbOI1 1I10nOX1(l' of a high degree of purity.

do not-claim as my own the step comprising the carburetion ofwater-gasby the addition thereto of cold hydrocarbon gas without cracking.

- I claim-g 1. A process of generating gas which gas is substantiallyfree fromsuspended carbon resulting from hydrocarbon,decomposition which consists in,;introducing hydrocarbon gas into' a mass ofjsolid fuel heated to a legree sufficient to decompose'the hydrocarbon gas, simultaneously introducing steam therewith in amount sufficient, to effect substanjtially complete reaction with the hydrocarbon gas, thereby producing a gas comprising essentially hydrogen and carbonmonoxide and in which the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide is substant'ially. from two to one to three to'on'e. I

2. A process of generating ga whichgas is substantially free from suspended carbon resulting from hydrocarbon decomposition which consists in, introducing hydrocarbon gas into a mass of 'sohd'fuel heated to a degree suficient to decompose the hydrocarbon gas, simultaneously introducing steam therewith in amount suliicient' to effect substantially complete reaction with the hydrocarbon gas, thereby producing a gas comprising essentially hydrogen and carbon monoxide and in which the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide is substantially two to one.

3. A process of generating which gas is substantially free from suspended carbon resulting from hy(l1ocr.rbo'- decomposition whichconsists in, introducing hydrocarbon gas of the paraflin series into a mass of solid fuel heated to a degree sullicicnt to decompose the hydrocarbon gas, simultaneously introducing steam therewith in amount sullicicnt to ctl'ect substantially complete reaction with the hydrocarbon gas, thereby producing a gas comprising essentially hydrogen and carbon monoxide and in which the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide is substantially from two to one to three to one.

4. A process of generating gas which gas is substantially free from suspended carbon resulting from hydrocarbon decomposition which consists in, introducing hydrocarbon gas of the paraffin series into a mass of solid fuel heated to a degreesufiicient to decompose the hydrocarbon gas, simultaneously inroducing steam therewith in amount sullicient to effect substantially complete reaction thereby producing with the hydrocarbon m.

comprising essentially hydrogen and' carbon monoxide and in which the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide is substantially two to one.

5. A process of generating gas which gas is substantially free from suspended carbon resulting from hydrocarbon decomposition which consists in, introducing hydrocarbon gas into a mass of solid fuel heated to a degree sufficient to decompose the hydrocarbon gas and to a temperature sutlicient for a water gas reaction to occur, simultaneously introducing steam therewith in amount sufiicient to effect substantially complete reaction with said hydrocarbon gas and simultaneous reaction with carbon in the said mass of fuel to the extent that the resulting gas comprises hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the ratio of substantially two to one.

6. A'process of generating gas which gas is substantially free from suspended carbon resulting from hydrocarbon decomposition which consistsin, introducing hydrocarbon gas of the paraflin series into a mass of solid fuel heated to a degree sufficient to decompose the hydrocarbon gas and to a temperature sufficient for a water gas reaction to occur, simultaneously introducing steam therewith in amount 'sufiicient to effect substantially complete reaction with said hydrocarbon gas and simultaneous reaction with carbon in the said mass of fuel to the extent that the resulting gas comprises hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the ratio of substantially two to one.

7. A process of generating gas which gas is substantially free from suspended carbon resulting from hydrocarbon decomposition which consists in, introducing hydrocarbon gas into a mass of solid fuel heated to a degree suflicient to decompose the hydrocarbon gas, simultaneously introducing steam therewith in amount suflicient to effect substantially complete reaction with the hydrocarbon gas, thereby producing a gas comprising essentially hydrogen and carbon monoxide and in which-the ratio of hydrogen tocarbon monoxide is substantially from two to one to three to one, introducing into a stream of the hot gas thus generated gaseous hydrocarbons in amount sufficient to produce an enriched gas being substantially city gas.

8. A process of generating gas which is substantially free from suspended carbon resulting. from hydrocarbon decomposition which consists in, introducing hydrocarbon gas into a mass of solid fuel heated to a degree sufficient to decompose the hydrocarbon gas, simultaneously introducing steam therewith in amount sulficient to effect substantially complete reaction with the hydrocarbon gas, thereby producing a gas comprismg essentially hydrogen and carbon 1110110.;-

ide and in which the ratio, of hydrogen to substantially city gas.

' \VM. W. ODELL. 

